Where did Malik Hooker finish in PFF's 1st-round rookie grades?

The Indianapolis Colts selected safety Malik Hooker with their first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft hoping he would prove to be a cornerstone of a rebuilding defense.

Through the first seven games, the Ohio State product flashed ridiculous promise, recording three interceptions. Unfortunately, his season prematurely came to an end when he tore his ACL against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7.

That still didn’t keep him from finishing in the top half of Pro Football Focus grades among all first-round rookies from the 2017 draft.

Hooker finished his rookie season with an overall grade of 77.3 and it likely would have been higher had he been able to finish out the second half of the season.

There were a number of first-round picks that finished with a higher grade than Hooker but he was among the top grades for rookie defensive backs.

The Colts are hoping that Hooker will be able to come back to full strength in 2018 so they can finally pair him up with strong safety Clayton Geathers, who missed most of the season as he was recovering from offseason neck surgery.

The Colts will be bringing in a new head coach for Hooker’s second season but that shouldn’t keep away the promise that he had shown during his first seven games.